The present disclosure relates to a continuous feed printing system that integrates one or more printing modules, and more particularly, to an urge unit in a paper path tunnel of the printing system.
In a typical continuous feed (CF) printing systems are supplied by extended lengths of sheet media, which are commonly provided in bulk roll form. Such lengths of sheet media are sometimes referred to as webs, continuous media and the like. One benefit of utilizing such a printing system is that the frequent resupplying of pre-cut sheets of media is avoided. Thus, such continuous feed printing systems, once setup for production, can sustain operation for long periods of time, which can help to increase productivity and reduce production costs.
There are occasions, however, that a document may call for one or more pages that are printed on sheet media having different properties and/or characteristics than that of the continuous length of sheet media being supplied to the printing system. For example, such pages may call for sheet media of a different size, a different type or material than that of the length of sheet media being supplied to the printing system, or different content such as text, graphics, color and the like. Unfortunately, the efficiencies and cost savings that might otherwise be associated with the production of such a document on a continuous feed printing system are often significantly reduced due to the call for sheets of media having these different properties and/or characteristics.
In such cases, these additional pages of the document may be produced on a different printing system or, in some cases, at a different time on the same printing system. In Duplex Continuous Feed (CF) environment, the paper is transported from the upstream printer to the downstream one via a turn bar paper path system using urge units. These urge units are designed to transport the paper in one direction and are independent from the paper path. Additionally, the urging units are located in the paper path external to the printers and transport paper from a simplex printer to a duplex printer. When the paper has to be transported in both directions two urge units must be used. The use of external urge units has been known to increase Paper skewing and the use of two urging units increases the cost of the CF printer system.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding of the present specification there is need in the art for print media transportation to be handled in both directions with a single urge unit.